A report commissioned by the Australian Medical Association has found that private health insurance companies are overcharging their members and contributing to their own decline. It found that recent 20% increases in premiums far outstripped the amount the not for profit companies are paying out in benefits to members. “Unless the health insurance industry can find a way to curb premium increases they will be left with an increasingly unsaleable product,” said Roger Kilham, an economic consultant and author of the report.